Consider, for a moment, the analogy of business to personal fitness. Imagine one of the universal weight-lifting machines at a local gym, or the one gathering dust in the basement.

It’s a machine which–if a person has the discipline, knowledge and dedication– can turn those flabby abs and soft arms into a lean muscle machine. Problem is, the machines can be too complicated, too rigid, and they take up too much space.

Enter business leader Jim Welch, who offers a system to ‘pump up’ a person's business growth and leadership skills without intimidation or complexity.

The bottom line of Welch’s new book, Grow Now: 8 Essential Steps to Flex your Leadership Muscles (Henchard Press Ltd, February 2008) is: Don’t just lead; develop a culture of innovation, growth and customer loyalty, learn how to avoid the obstacles of success, and bullet-proof the path to sustained business growth.

“The key is to understand the principles of ‘practical growth,’” says Welch. “Truly effective leaders understand how to keep and motivate the best people, how to foster a culture of innovation, engender customer loyalty, and to manage the pace of change and growth.”

In Grow Now, Welch covers topics including:

*the ‘8 C’s of the Practical Growth Leader’ as caring, candor, confronting, conflict, circle of trust, collaboration, credit to others, communication and celebration. * Retention of top talent: The real reasons people leave, and how identify, hire and keep the best, and coach with emotion * How to measure your customer loyalty in ‘real time’ * the 5 keys to realistically and objectively assess your company’s growth potential * essential tools to manage one of the most pressing problems – Sustaining growth momentum!

He devotes a chapter of the book to each of his 8 essential steps which include:* Flexing the Practical Growth Machine* Refueling Growth Engines to Win the Battle for Top Talent* Pedal to the Metal - Customer Loyalty Now!* Flexing Innovation Flight Plans* Finding the Passing Zone to Finish First* Building the Growth Curves* Speeding with Strengths* Adjusting Sails to Win

The end of each chapter offers a ‘hurdle test’ to ensure thorough understanding of the concepts presented, and a 90 day plan to implement all of the elements.

“Leadership need not be an exercise in either passively or directly throwing your weight around,” adds Welch. “You can flex your leadership muscles with passion and energy and generate growth without looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger!”